The Grim Road To Hoogerheide - The Matrix Games version of West Front

(Version 1.2 18-02-2005) The Allied plans to clear the Scheldt and open the port of Antwerp involved 3 operations that had to be carried out. The first was the elemination of the Breskens pocket and the silencing of the coastal guns on the southbank of the Scheldt. The second was to cut the narrow land connection of the garrison stationed on Walcheren and South Beveland with the Dutch mainland at the so called "Woensdrecht isthmus". While the third opereration would be the capture of Walcheren and South Beveland itself. This scenario deals with the first battles in the second operation. The Canadian 2nd division was given the task to move over the Belgian-Dutch border at Putte and move north towards the heights of Woensdrecht and Hoogerheide and to the railway embankment of the main connection to South Beveland and Walcheren. Leading the attack to Hoogerheide were the Calgary Highlanders, supported by one squadron of Shermans from Fort Garry Horse. The railway embankment was to be secured by the Royal Regiment of Canada. The leading batallions were reinforced by the Regiment de Maisonneuve, ordered to take the village of Huijbergen and The Black Watch in support of the Calgary Highlanders. The area was known to be only "Stuetzpunktartig besetzt" (defense at focal points) by weak elements of units attached to the 346. Infanterie Division, mainly the 744th Regiment and a few Jagdpanzer from the 559 Heavy AT Batallion. The Germans were well aware of the immediate danger to the isthmus and elements of Kampfgruppe "Chill" were ordered to Bergen op Zoom by means of motor transport. First to arrive were 2 batallions of the formidable 6th Fallschirmjäger Regiment led by Lt. Colonel Von der Heydte. He was ordered to counterattack immediately and restore the situation.